


The lingering question

by kjstark



Series: Red Like A Star [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: M/M, tag for tony/rhodey is just BROTP because they're the best brotp period
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-18
Updated: 2013-10-18
Packaged: 2017-12-29 17:38:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1008184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kjstark/pseuds/kjstark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Then what are you worried about?" She asked again, calmly. Rhodey gave her a shy, bit sad, smile that spoke louder than any word he could've mustered. Because he wasn't sure of anything, and he hated the high percentage of odds proving that Tony was right. "Oh, Rhodey, please. Tony knows of love as much as he knows of babies, anyway,"</p>
            </blockquote>





	The lingering question

**Author's Note:**

> To be honest, I'm not really sure of where I'm going with this series, so just amuse me.  
> Un-beta'd, English isn't my first language, I love me some BuckyRhodey, sue me, blahblahblah.

"What are you doing this afternoon?" Rhodey tip-toed, dropping the last box of crap he'd dragged with him from his tiny, ugly condo in Washington. Bucky turned to him, sucking a popscicle. April was almost over, but today had been a really-long-really-hot day.

"Steve told me to stop by the tower.  Something about old movies and Stark being on a business trip," he said, shrugging. Rhodey opened the box and bet the inside of his cheek. "Why, though?" asked Bucky, from the counter he was currently sitting on. Rhodey moved his shoulders a little bit nonchalantly and Bucky laughed, "C'mon, shy-patch, tell me," Rhodey smiled at that because, well, at least he wasn't sour anymore.

"I was thinking maybe we could-- I mean, you could, hmm," Rhodey bet his bottom lip, cursing already "help me pick out furniture," he asked, closing his eyes, because if Bucky freaked out on him, it was his very goddamn fault.

Bucky considered, "you want me to help you pick out _your_ furniture?" He raised an eyebrow. Then Rhodey turned.

"Yeah, you know, TV, shelves, the big couch. Tony says I have next-to no taste at all in this kind of stuff, so, I don't know. It's okay if you have things to do, though," he replied, babbling.

"No, I mean," Bucky cut him off "it's _your_ stuff," he pronounced, again.

"So?" Rhodey did not get it.

Bucky moved his head to the sides, leaving it. "No, yeah, okay, I'll help you."

 

 

They spent the next four-or-so hours buying from book shelves to a fake Picasso drawing. Bucky realized Tony and himself had finally something to agree with and it was that yes, as a matter of fact, Rhodey has no taste in indoors decorating stuff, at all.

"So what can I help you with?" A guy walked to them, fake huge smile on his face.

"Mhm, we were wondering about family-size couches options?" The guy raised his eyebrows, and Bucky chuckled behind Rhodey because it had been a stupid question, the place was full of big couches.

"Anything more specific?" He tried again.

"Yeah," Bucky walked past Rhodey "leather couches, black leather couches," the guy nodded and walked through the place, asking them to follow. They got to a small division of the store, with all kinds of black-leathered couches, and Bucky's eyes settled on one.

"You like that one?" The store guy asked him. Bucky made a face "That one is made of Argentinean leather, best kind, and it's on 30% sale," he explained. Rhodey nodded behind him.

"That's awesome. How much is it?" Rhodey asked, and Bucky sat on the couch.

"About three hundred bucks," he replied.

"I have one question, though," Bucky said, from the couch while Rhodey discussed forms of payment. They turned to him, "is it comfortable enough to have sex on?"

They ignored him.

"So, how's moving?" Pepper asked a week later. They were at the living room of the tower, having Chinese, just the three of them like old times.

Tony widened his eyes "Moving? Where?" He asked.

Rhodey rolled his eyes to him for a second, "I told you three weeks ago, I was moving here to New York, buying an apartment, all that jazz, over the phone, remember?" Tony shook his head, serious, and Rhodey sighed. "Anyway, it's good, we're almost over--," and he knew he'd screwed it then.

"Who's _we_?" Tony asked, demanding. Pepper shrugged and put food in her mouth, switzerland-ing herself.

"Bucky and I," Rhodey answered, slowly, not looking at Tony until the end of his phrase.

" _What?_ " He freaked.

"Tony, calm down," Pepper said, still swallowing.

"You don't mean that, you don't mean _Steve's evil friend_ ," he pleaded.

"He's not evil. You just don't like him--,"

"Because he's evil!" He cut.

"Tony," Pepper tried again.

"Don't _Tony_ me! He lied, _Tony_ him," he told her, pointing at Rhodey.

"I didn't lie," Rhodey stated.

"Well, you certainly didn't tell me you're fucking Steve's friend--,"

"It's not like that--,"

"He's fucking  _you_ \--," Tony almost yelled.

"Oh my god," Rhodey whispered. "This is ridiculous, can you let me explain?" Rhodey looked at him, and Tony held the eye-contact for long seconds.

"I wish you could," he said, standing.

"It's not what you think, we are not... dating," he hesitated, and Pepper looked down.

"Yeah, like you're so very capable of having a friends-with-benefits kind of deal," he mocked, but he was clearly upset about not knowing.

"I am," Rhodey replied, a little mad about his friend’s statement.

"You're _not_. Barnes is going to screw you over and I'm gonna be left to pick up the pieces of your so-idiotic heart" Pepper gave Tony a warning look from where she was sitting.

"Tony, Bucky and I've been at this for six months now," Rhodey said, low but steady, and Tony opened his mouth, shocked.

"Don't talk to me," Tony said, bitterly, walking down to his lab. Rhodey sighed heavily for like the trillionth time.

Pepper landed a hand on his shoulder after a while. "He'll get over it," she soothed.

"I know," Rhodey complied.

"Then what are you worried about?" She asked again, calmly. Rhodey gave her a shy, bit sad, smile that spoke louder than any word he could've mustered. Because he wasn't sure of anything, and he hated the high percentage of odds proving that Tony was right. "Oh, Rhodey, please. Tony knows of love as much as he knows of babies, anyway,"

"Yeah, but this isn't _lo_ \--,"

"Don't refute my argument," she scolded, mother-like, and Rhodey gave up. "Stop thinking about it, you'll be fine. I'll see you next weekend" she said before giving him a kiss on the cheek, and leaving.

* * *

“Senator Forbes called me this morning,” Rhodey said, handing Bucky a glass of water, looking for his sweat pants. Bucky whistled to call him, pointing at the sweat pants hanging from the upper corner of the shelf. “How did that happen?” he asked, looking at them with a grin on his face. Bucky shrugged behind him.

“What did he want?” Bucky asked, after taking a sip, stretching out on the couch.

“I don’t know, I told him I was busy and hung up,” Rhodey explained, putting his pant on.

“Why?” Bucky frowned.

“Well, you called me to the shower. It’s not like I was going to tell him ‘Oh, sorry, I can’t talk, I have to go fuck my boyfriend’,” Rhodey explained, raising his eyebrows.

“Don’t use that word,” Bucky said, looking away.

“What? You use ‘fuck’ all the time,” Rhodey complained.

“No, not ‘fuck’, ‘ _boyfriend_ ’,” he muttered, moving his head to one side. Rhodey shrugged lightly, pressing his lips together.

“Is what you are,” he said. Bucky sat and looked at him, taking a deep breath.

“I am?” he said, asking, but Rhodey did nothing. Bucky walked to him and stood inches away, Rhodey only curved his lips to one corner of his mouth. “So, I guess I am.” And he smiled.

And if Tony asks, Rhodey doesn’t do sloppy kisses.

**Author's Note:**

> I guess everything's baby steps with James Barnes, huh?


End file.
